Well we found home...

If God wants.

But some miracles of course have to happen first.  One of being that currently Shelton is *not* hiring.  However they do frequently.  The house has been on the market for a very long time.  And just take a huge dip in price.  We LOVE it. 

It has 2,262 square feet, and bedrooms for every kid.  Its on 3 acres.  And is only 102,000 right now.

The only thing it needs is new flooring.  Thats it.

Its in the Skokomish Valley.  I of course fell in love when we pulled onto the road.  LOL  (Looking down the valley about a half a mile onto the road.

This is taken standing on the front step of the house looking towards the road.  A very lovely quiet country road---not a nasty highway like where we currently are.

The front of the house.  It actually goes to the right a bit more, but it was hard to get into the picture.  The house on the inside kinda goes on and on.  *snicker*  The real estate agent and us believe that they at some point converted the garage into bedrooms.  It has a huge room which we would convert to a library.  As well as a wonderful large great room which is kitchen, living room and dining room in a L shape.  I didn't take pictures inside as I was too overwhelmed by it all.  LOL 

We actually came back today to take the pictures I did take, as we wanted to get a second look.

The paint on the walls is fresh in 99% of the place, but the carpet is NASTY.  It has to be pulled out before you move in.  But its such an amazing buy thats just fine.

The driveway is PAVED, and so is the parking.   There is also a lovely cement pad as deck in the back of the house.  The yard obviously needs TLC, but mostly just weeding.    And I of course LOVED this!   LOVED. 

Iin case you can't tell.  Its a gorgeous cement fish pond, that drops into a smaller fish pond.  A small pump and you have a lovely water/fall pond. 

Yes there is a house right through those trees, but it doesn't feel like it with the trees there--and in the summer you won't even see it because of the leaves.

I love windows.  I love french doors more.  And second best is sliders.  There's 2 of them.  This is back of the house.  The Master bedroom is the one with the wooden door.  The master bedroom is actually a stinkin suite.  It has 2 major rooms, and a bathroom.  Rather riduculous actually.  Rob and I were muttering about it, and decided what we would probably do is add the larger room to the living room as they are connected.   We just don't need a lot of space, and we much prefer the view of the smaller room the one you can see.  And trust me that's NOT a small room.  *snicker*

The boys were so hysterical in it.  There's another room, and another.

The real estate agent says every time she shows it she gets lost in it...

And our ponies?  They would be very happy because most of it is just a nice big field.

And the view from the field is loverly.

Yeah that's another neighbor.  You can NOT see them from the close up yard, or the house.  Only the back of the field.  You can see there goats, but there rather cute.  And yes those are the foothills of the Olympics way up there.  I'm not sure if you can see the Olympics or not as the clouds were covering it up some.  Regardless it was beautiful.

Oh yes one last thing.  Worried that will miss the river?  Guess what the back of the property borders....And actually jumps over just a wee bit.  Rob ran down to it yesterday, but I was exhausted and refused, so today I did it.  And yeah Jeremiah was ecstatic.

That's actually not a river its Vance Creek, but its wider then our river.  So it'll work.  Across the road through the woods is the Skokomish river.  So all in all river is covered.

Now to see what God wants.

So I stopped at my favorite falls on the way home from the grocery store to empty my pop.    And when I peered down through  the trees I found something you just don't *ever* see in Washington.

This is frozen spray from the water fall!

I particularly like this one

As the icicle looks like its defying gravity and is freezing uphill!  And no that picture isn't upside down...its the icicle that is!

My batterys died after I took that one *sniff*  Or I would have more...but I'm still impressed that this is Washington.  And temperature wise?  Its -7 celsius.  Which is COLD around here.   That would be 19 F for those of us who haven't yet joined the 21st century--you know the backwards Americans. 

I'm beginning to think I need a weekend planner for this weekend.  *snicker*

Cause the schedule is just getting goofy.

6:00 am leave for Olympia.

10 am arrive at Olympia for baton.  I stay with the kids Rob heads to the Shelton prison.

1:00 pm Rob arrives with car (he better ROFL) We head to motel.

There is a possibility at this time we will run to the Strathmore Creek prison, but this appointment is still pending.

5:00 pm (or somewhere there abouts)  Dee and I are going out for dinner.  

That's sane.  *nods*

Friday.

Get up whenever.

Meet my mom and give her four of my kids.  This time is 11'ish.

11'ish is also when we meet the realtor.  Its going to be fun pulling two 11'ish off at once. *snicker*

Down to 2 kiddos, and we do our real estate thing, and drive around the Shelton community getting a feel for things.  We might also go drive through the Aberdeen community.  (about 45-50 minutes away). 

Friday evening second night in motel. 

Saturday morning Childrens museum with the J-boys (the only two not going with grandma)  And hopefully meet Christina.

This is like a juggling act all the meets and greets in a city that I'm not comfy driving in.

It *cough* took us 2 hours last time to get back to the Super 8 after we drove past it last time.  *Snigger*  I've since taken some time studying mapquest so I can get around a wee bit better. 

I'm just used to getting off the free-way and going directly to where I'm going.  Directly to Dee's house.  (done that twice)  Directly to Chuck E Cheeze.  (once)  etc.  But once I'm off the freeway--I can't figure out how to keep track of which way things are.

Its been a mostly fun weekend.  We spent a good part of yesterday playing on a beach in Neah Bay.  Today was spent on Rob working on Jamari's barn...which hit a bit of a snafu.  IT will be fixed when I can go buy some trim tomorrow.  Rob was attempting to "make" his own trim, and it wasn't going well.

I didn't realize that was what was taking so long, and I kindly *cough*  suggested bought trim was a better option...as making trim out of a board is difficult to put it mildly, and very hard to get all the same size.   He has these brief moments of cheap-skate that hinder him.  But this *is* Jamari's main birthday gift.  And it would be nice if it was nice.  LOL

Its looking very very cute.

I took the above picture yesterday.  But then played with it...a lot and that was the result.  Its actually three pictures blended together.  A moonlight picture I took in November, and a beach picture I took another day of Rainbug. 

We walked about 2.5 miles on the beach yesterday.  And finally got to the end of a beach that we've never made it to.  The twit in the picture decided to leave her shoes behind, and very very much regretted it.  She ended up shortly after this picture borrowing my socks and walking in them the rest of the trip.  She was soooooooooooooooooo cold by the time we got back to the car.  It was only about 40 degrees after all. 

And capris!!  In January.  *garH*

And Samuel needs new shoes.  He managed to score a  massive blister in his.  Of course if he'd wear them like shoes are meant to be worn it would help.  He always walks on the heels--too lazy to lace them up.  And then they flip and flop around.  And he got sand in them.  And yeah his blister is monstrous. 

Tomorrow is payday.  So it will be a long day due to the extra driving time to get to grocerys.  And the fact that I "get" to bring all the kids with me.  But oh my word do we need stuff.  LOL

You name it we're out of it.

So my camera was out in the car and when I took this the camera was slightly fogged up even though I'd cleaned the lens.  So excuse the quality of the picture.  But here's my first pair of Opera sleeves.  I've since made Zeria's pair, and have begun Rainees.  Rainee's are going to take longer cause she chose smaller crochet thread.

The girls love them.  They don't bungle like the picture shows, Kaylin just hadn't put hers on right.  And she hasn't taken them off once all day.  LOL 

From Jeremiah;

Do you have these little holes in  your mouth that get food down to your tummy.

Yes.

I do too.

Good morning.

I love this picture of the two of them cause they just look so intent on what they were doing.  Which by the way was building a bridge over that wee bit of river.  Rainee is standing on her part of the "bridge"

Its a proper Washington weather day.  ROFL  Since we've had such bizarre weather I'm not sure what proper actually is.

Jeremiah has a cold, and spent last night in bed with me.  About every fifteen minutes he needed sumfin'.  Water, Blanket, My _____hurts.  You name it.  I'm a bit tired.

I'm also a bit tired cause I'm a bit concerned about something.  Okay both Rob and I are.  I've gotten lazy about recording my cycles.  And now I can't remember the last time I had one.   And I know its been quite a long time.  Like since before vacation.  Which we believe means I'm late.  I've been very irregular since Jeremiah was born.  But this is really late.  We think.  It was kind of funny cause normally I can associate something we were doing with my last cycle.  And I'm TOTALLY blank.    I'm sure its coming.  I just wish I had a date to know when the last one was.  Cause then I could worry less...or more possibly.  *snicker*

I guess when we're in town tomorrow doing our taxes I'll make a wee purchase just to be sure.  Which I'm sure will be a wasted purchase due to Rob's surgery.  But I'd rather be safe then sorry.   HMMMM

I made the cutest little pair of fingerless elbow high gloves like Hannah Montana wears for Kaylin last night.  (Crocheted)   Zeria has already orderded a pair.  They took me all of two hours, and that was with pulling some out for an adjustment.   I need to get my camera in from the car and take a picture.  They are way too fun.

You know its going to be a significant blog when you can't come up with a single title. 

I'm just floating through this day doing what needs to be done.  I did have a run-away for lunch which improved my mood.   Since I was a grumpy bear because Rob was a grumpy bear that was a good thing.  LOL

Rob was grumpy cause our kids are slobs.  And he decided to adress it when we'd all been awake for five minutes.  I have a unbreakable rule.  We do NOT discuss anything for the first 30 minutes I'm awake.  I need to wake up ROFL.  Rob gets up an hour early before everybody else cause he needs an HOUR to wake up.  And then thinks everybody else should be awake in five....

Well its nota gonna work MR! LOL  

So about once every 3-6 months we have to remind Rob that five minutes after you wake up is not the time to adress well anything.   *Snicker*  We don't do mornings in this house.  If you try to get us to do mornings we will revolt.  All of us.  Its just a given.

On that note.  He's ever so much better then my dad who used to think it funny when he came into the bedroom playing his guitar and singing LOUDLY.

My mom never handled that well....okay none of us did.  She didn't do mornings either. 

Good evening

It was a pleasant and relaxing day.  I'm watching the Kids Inaugral Ball which has been very good...but took a break as I'm *cough* not a friend of the Jonas brothers.

I however loved Corban Bleu and wanted another. 

This is Rainee and Kaylin with Jason Lee.  A very very nice young man even if he took first in the world.  He had infinate patient with the kids, and taught them a lot.  Kaylin just beamed all the way through this class.  She thoroughly enjoyed it.

The second class she took was very hard, and she got discouraged and eventually quit.  But we had warned her, and it was her choice.

My batterys bit the dust, so I don't have a great picture of the big kids with Jason, so you'll have to deal with this. 

The baton studio is rather ingenius.  It is in a small warehouse which she drywalled at the bottom, and put a lovely dance floor on.  The wall you can't see is full mirrors.  Its a perfect solution in order to keep her prices low, and her still making a living.

In other news...this kid is a GOOBER!  And yes he dressed himself.  At which point I insisted on a picture. 

We've had incredibly good weather the last couple days, and ended up at the river several times.  It was soooo pretty.  The river has finally gone down enough and the snow melted so we could enjoy it, even if it was FREEZING cold out there. 

We have a new deeper swimming hole for this summer with a sandy shore that wasn't there before the storm.

I loved the way the sun was shining on the trees here. 

And this submerged log with the reflection of the river water around it.

Anyhow very beautiful down at the river. 

Which makes the next part of this blog seem a bit ridiculous.  We're contemplating a big move.   We're in the dreaming, and scoping out the possibility stage, but since this is my journal that's the best place for this huh?

Since Awana fell out from under us due to the roads we are feeling very isolated, and worried about our children once again.  Baton in Clallam Bay is going okay, but not great.   We just feel like sore thumbs in this community being the only homeschooling family.

We love the area, we've made some friends, but not busom buddy friends kwim?

Rob could transfer tomorrow to any of the state prisons.  We are currently looking at Shelton and Hoquiam.   We like the Hoquiam area better, but the Shelton real estate is a better price, and the Health dept there has a much better reputation.  I have contacted a real estate agent, and we are going to explore our options with her on January 30th (the day after our next baton lesson).   We will stay in the Super 8 in Olympia and then go look around on Friday.  We already have some "favorites" but of course online you can see the neighborhood, etc.

We are praying lots, and not going to do anything rushed.  And asking ourselves a lot of questions.

The irony that God provided the most gorgeous sunshine and made my property look beautiful after a month and a half of terrible isn't lost on me.  *snicker*

I made a list of houses I liked today, and am going to look at it again tomorrow to weed out a couple, so we can just look at 3 or four (inside) with an appointment.  More then that and my kids will revolt.  And it will give us an idea as to wether this is doable. 

Prayers are appreciated. 

I did this yesterday, but my dsl shut down in the middle of me hitting submit, and there went the blog. 

Anyhow Highway 112 has slid.  And will be closed until mid summer.  This is the road that allows us to get to Awana.  It also saves us 15 minutes on the way to town.  We aren't totally stranded, we can add the 15 and get to town to shop.  It would be at least 30 minutes extra ONE way to get to Awana.  I'm a chicken and haven't worked up the courage to tell my children this is the last night of Awana.

I know what there reaction is going to be.   But I just can't afford to do that much extra driving, never mind we wouldn't be getting home until about 9:45 at night which is just too late.   So that's my fun goal for the morning...to break my kids hearts. 

If your intrested in what the slide looks like there's pictures here.    Its not pretty.

In more uplifting news.  Rob has been having a lot of fun working on Jamari's birthday pressy.  His birthday is the end of this month.  And this is approximately what he'll be getting.

It has trim and a roof coming, but those will happen after this up coming weekend.

This weekend we are headed back to Fantasia to do our normal baton practice, and then the next day the kids are getting the excellent opportunity of taking classes with Jason Lee a World Class baton twirler.  HE took first in the world last year.

You tube provides us with this performance.